The new Course on Integral Ecology: from Laudato Si’ to Laudate Deum will start on January 30, 2025. It is an English-language training program born from the collaboration between Roman pontifical universities and institutes. The initiative, responding to Pope Francis' calls for the care of our common home, also features the Pontifical Salesian University among its protagonists, with contributions from prominent Salesian scholars.
The course follows the path traced by the Pope, who in 2015, with the encyclical Laudato Si’, emphasized the urgency of the ecological crisis and social justice. This call was reinforced in 2023 with the publication of the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, released on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. In the document, Pope Francis denounces the lack of adequate reactions to climate change and inequalities, reaffirming the need for collective commitment to the protection of the planet and future generations.
The academic initiative stems from the awareness that the environmental challenge can only be addressed through an integral ecology, as indicated by the Pope. In this perspective, the Roman pontifical universities and institutes have created, since the publication of Laudato Si’, the Joint Diploma in Integral Ecology.
In 2025, on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of the project, the English version of the course will be launched, made available online thanks to collaboration with international entities committed to the care of creation.
Course structure and methods
Title: Course on Integral Ecology: from Laudato Si’ to Laudate Deum Duration: January – June 2025 Structure: 6 modules of 90 minutes each Frequency: Every third Thursday of the month, from 14:00 to 15:30 (CEST/GMT+1) Mode: Online Special Event: In May, an international conference on Laudato Si’ will be held Certification: A certificate of participation will be issued A team of international experts, academics, leaders, and activists from the Roman pontifical universities and institutes, along with prominent global scholars, will lead the course.
This initiative represents a further step forward in the academic commitment to the care of our common home, promoting an educational approach capable of inspiring concrete actions on a global scale.
Registrations
Registrations are open until March 15, 2025. At the end of the course, students who wish can receive a certificate of participation and become officially "Animators of Laudato si’" through the "Laudato si’ Movement".
To register, visit the website: http://immatricolazioni.unigre.it.
Required documentation:
- Identity card or passport (in PDF format)
- A brief presentation (about 100 words) explaining the choice to participate in the Course (in PDF format)
- The registration fee is €30.00, to be paid by bank transfer.
(Note: If you need financial assistance, contact: jdei.english@unigre.it)
Scientific Committee
- Prof. Prem Xalxo (xalxo@unigre.it) – Pontifical Gregorian University
- Prof. Giulia Lombardi (g.lombardi@urbaniana.edu) – Pontifical Urban University
- Prof. Massimo Losito (massimo.losito@upra.org) – Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum
- Prof. Ivan Colagé (i.colage@antonianum.eu) – Pontifical University Antonianum
- Prof. Arturo Bellocq (a.bellocq@pusc.it) – Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
- Prof. Inocent-Mária Vladimir Szaniszló (szaniszlo@pust.it) – Pontifical University of Saint Thomas, Angelicum
- Prof. Claudia Caneva (claudia.caneva@diocesidiroma.it) – Pontifical Lateran University
- Prof. Ruberval Monteiro da Silva (r.monteiro@anselmianum.com) – Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm
- Prof. Andrea Zampetti (zampetti@unisal.it) – Pontifical Salesian University
- Prof. Joshtrom Isacc Kureethadam (j.kureethadam@humandevelopment.va) – Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- Dr. Cecilia Dall’Oglio (cecilia@laudatosimovement.org) – Laudato si’ Movement, Rome
- Prof. Francesco Celestino (frcelestino@tiscali.it) – Pontifical Faculty of Theology San Bonaventura – Seraphicum
- Prof. Linda Pocher (lindapocher@donboscoland.it) – Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences – Auxilium